Constitutional Authorities: Powers, Functions and Responsibilities · GPSC (Gujarat)

What the official syllabus says

GPSC Main Examination, Paper V: General Studies-II, (A) Indian Polity and Constitution:
Constitutional Authorities: Powers, Functions and Responsibilities.

Topics in detail

Election Commission of India (Article 324)

Composition: Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners; removal of the CEC like a Supreme Court judge
Superintendence, direction and control of elections to Parliament, State legislatures and the offices of President and Vice-President
Model Code of Conduct, recognition of political parties, allotment of symbols, preparation of electoral rolls
Electoral reforms: EVMs and VVPAT, NOTA, expenditure limits, criminalisation of politics
Representation of the People Acts, 1950 and 1951 (in outline)

Public Service Commissions (Articles 315 to 323)

Union Public Service Commission and State Public Service Commissions: appointment and removal of members
Functions: recruitment examinations, advice on methods of recruitment, promotions, disciplinary matters (Article 320)
Gujarat Public Service Commission as the State Public Service Commission
Limitations: advisory nature of recommendations

Comptroller and Auditor General of India (Articles 148 to 151)

Appointment, tenure, removal and independence
Audit of the accounts of the Union and States; reports placed before Parliament and State legislatures
Relationship with the Public Accounts Committee
Types of audit: compliance, financial and performance audit

Finance Commission (Article 280)

Composition and five-year cycle
Recommendations on sharing of taxes and on grants-in-aid; measures to augment resources of panchayats and municipalities

Law officers

Attorney General for India (Article 76): right to speak in Parliament without vote
Advocate General of the State (Article 165)

Commissions for weaker sections

National Commission for Scheduled Castes (Article 338)
National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (Article 338A, created by the 89th Amendment, 2003)
National Commission for Backward Classes (Article 338B, 102nd Amendment, 2018)
Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities (Article 350B)
Powers of a civil court for the national commissions while investigating complaints (for example, Article 338(8))

Other constitutional bodies

GST Council (Article 279A): composition and decision-making by weighted vote
Inter-State Council (Article 263)
State Election Commission (Article 243K) and State Finance Commission (Article 243I)

Other constitutional provisions

Official Language Commission (Article 344)
CAG's reports on State accounts submitted to the Governor and laid before the State legislature (Article 151(2))
Annual reports of Public Service Commissions laid before the legislature with reasons for not accepting advice (Article 323)

Constitutional, statutory and executive bodies compared

Constitutional body: created by the Constitution, changed only by amendment (for example, the Election Commission, CAG, Finance Commission)
Statutory body: created by an Act (for example, the National Human Rights Commission, Central Vigilance Commission)
Executive body: created by a government resolution (for example, NITI Aayog)
Why the difference matters: security of tenure, powers, ease of change

Issues

Independence of appointments and the security of tenure
Vacancies, delays and the enforceability of recommendations

Overlaps

Statutory and quasi-judicial bodies (as opposed to constitutional ones) are on Statutory, Regulatory and Quasi-Judicial Authorities.